Diablo IV‘s Season 8 beckons, and with it, the return of Belial, the Lord of Lies. Known for his memorable boss encounter in Diablo III, Belial is set to make a dramatic comeback, bringing fresh challenges, revamped systems, and exciting gameplay mechanics to Sanctuary.

We sat with Lead Season Designer Deric Nunez and Systems Design Director Colin Finer to discuss what players can expect in Diablo IV Season 8 and how Belial’s return will set up the rest of the game for 2025.

Belial’s Role in Diablo IV Season 8

Belial’s reappearance is more than just a nostalgic nod to the franchise’s history. Nunez shares, “We’re immensely excited to bring Belial back to the world of Sanctuary, not just as the catalyst for the new seasonal questline, but also as a permanent fixture in the lair boss system.”

In particular, the spotlight will shine on the lair boss system in Diablo IV Season 8, where several quality-of-life upgrades will be added, along with the expanding roster to accommodate Belial

Belial’s presence will be felt throughout the season, with his smaller form haunting players during other lair boss encounters, creating surprise ambushes that add unpredictability and excitement to the gameplay. His addition not only introduces new mechanics but also affects the narrative. Blizzard hopes Belial’s return piques players’ interest in seeing how this major character can affect the game moving forward.

Returning players, in particular, can pick the game back up easily, as Nunez points out that Season 8 will have this “clear guidance through all of the cool boss-related content that Diablo IV offers.”

Revamped Systems and the Introduction of Boss Powers

Diablo IV Season 8 introduces significant updates to the lair boss system, making it more accessible and engaging. Nunez highlighted the changes: “All of the lair bosses are now free to summon, so you can actually try them out to see if you are capable of taking them on.” This eliminates the frustration of wasted efforts, which the team learned to be valuable feedback from the players.

Additionally, lair boss keys replace the previous summoning materials, unlocking treasure hoards upon defeating bosses. These changes further reflect the team’s goal of being more approachable and engaging for all players in Season 8.

The season also brings collectible boss powers, which players can integrate into their builds. There are 24 collectible boss powers, each with powerful abilities that players only used to see bosses use in previous seasons, like Wandering Death’s Chest Beam or even Duriel’s Burrow.

Nunez elaborated, “Each boss power has a main side—a signature power—and another side, with up to three modifiers which alter the main power or some other elements of your build. It’s not just 24 ways to express yourself, but it’s actually 48.”

“We put a ton of time and effort into ensuring that regardless of what build you played last season, if you tried playing it this season, it’s going to feel completely different based on all the boss powers you can mix and match,” explained Finer. “The harder it is for us to balance, usually the more fun it is for players.”

Balancing the Experience

Recognizing the diverse player base, Blizzard has tried to balance the leveling experience and endgame content, especially since the Season 8 PTR revealed many lessons and learnings to the team about how engaged the players are throughout the journey of reaching the endgame.

While leveling to 60 may take slightly longer than in previous seasons due to increased difficulty, Finer assured players that the journey is structured to keep them engaged: “We think it just feels like a little bit more of a structured and streamlined experience.” The journey from the campaign is outlined well throughout the acts, and even to Vessel of Hatred, which Finer refers to as a “seamless bridge” to the endgame.

For hardcore players, the torment system offers higher difficulty tiers, pushing their limits and rewarding optimization.

Furthermore, Season 8 also introduces Apparition Incursions, a fast-paced boss rush-style activity designed to be both a leveling tool and a source of rewards. Nunez described it as “a new way for players to get into the fast fun of the leveling experience of Season 8,” and will integrate seamlessly into the broader gameplay loop, offering immediate value while complementing other activities like Helltides and Nightmare Dungeons.

Season 8: Belial’s Return promises to be a chapter in Diablo IV’s roadmap to look out for, blending nostalgia with key improvements that would surely excite new players and returning fans. With revamped systems and a wealth of new content, we can’t wait to dive into Sanctuary once again.

Thank you to Colin, Deric, and Blizzard for taking the time to talk to us about Diablo IV Season 8!